Pushing It

B

bronks

It's amazing to me to me that EVERY time I try and push my trading, i.e. aggressive vs. conservative, I get whacked...hard. Build the acct. up, get whacked, build it up, get whacked. Jeez. I'm seriously consistent but can't get over the hump. One would think that the natural progression of trading skill would equate into breaking through "resistance" levels of an equity curve. But sure as shit, as soon as I start opening things up, BAM! I have no problems maxing out on contracts and pulling the trigger which could be part of the problem.

You may say why don't I stick to what works, and maybe I should, but I don't see how else to become a seriously successful trader without pushing the envelope, especially with a smaller acct. Maybe I'm looking at this at a wrong angle, I don't know, but I expect improvement and growth after time and effort in any endeavor, including trading. Wrong approach maybe.

I not really looking for any answers here. Just some comments form others on this board who may have gone through this same thing.
 
If you do happen to find answers let me know, I have found the more shares I am trading the lower the reward per share is with my trading style, but then again the performace depreciation is compensated for by the increased share size.

Just got to stick with the size your profitable with, or expiriment with a new method or timeframe to accomodate the aspired increase in size.

just my .02



Quote from bronks:

It's amazing to me to me that EVERY time I try and push my trading, i.e. aggressive vs. conservative, I get whacked...hard. Build the acct. up, get whacked, build it up, get whacked. Jeez. I'm seriously consistent but can't get over the hump. One would think that the natural progression of trading skill would equate into breaking through "resistance" levels of an equity curve. But sure as shit, as soon as I start opening things up, BAM! I have no problems maxing out on contracts and pulling the trigger which could be part of the problem.

You may say why don't I stick to what works, and maybe I should, but I don't see how else to become a seriously successful trader without pushing the envelope, especially with a smaller acct. Maybe I'm looking at this at a wrong angle, I don't know, but I expect improvement and growth after time and effort in any endeavor, including trading. Wrong approach maybe.

I not really looking for any answers here. Just some comments form others on this board who may have gone through this same thing.
More...
 
I believe "pushing it" means altering one's strategy in some way. Now if all you do is make a strategy change that you "hope" will make you more money, then you are doing exactly the same thing that newbies do when they start trading and try their first approach.
 
Of course I alter my strategy. Just increasing size could be could be defined as such. I don't want to be trading 1 contract for the rest of my life.

Now do I change my method of trading. Probably, how else do you find out what works.

I don't hope for anything. I expect improvement over time.
 
Well, when you "push it" you are taking more aggressive and riskier plays. If your risk is increasing your "reward target" has to increase also, if not your risk/reward ratio has worsened. And you will also do worse when that happens. If you are going to getm ore aggresive and take more risk, you need to make sure that when you do win, your reward is correspondingly greater too. That make sense?

I think when people get aggressize, by taking more trades, doing more size, they get emotional and tkae profits too quickly, never giving themselves a chance to make more reward and threby screwing themselves. I do it all the time. Or They(I) take too many trades that are high risk and therefore lose more,without realizing that my "reward targets have not increased" i.e. I just start doing stupid trades.
 
Well, when you "push it" you are taking more aggressive and riskier plays. If your risk is increasing your "reward target" has to increase also, if not your risk/reward ratio has worsened. And you will also do worse when that happens. If you are going to getm ore aggresive and take more risk, you need to make sure that when you do win, your reward is correspondingly greater too. That make sense?

I think when people get aggressize, by taking more trades, doing more size, they get emotional and tkae profits too quickly, never giving themselves a chance to make more reward and threby screwing themselves. I do it all the time. Or They(I) take too many trades that are high risk and therefore lose more,without realizing that my "reward targets have not increased" i.e. I just start doing stupid trades.
 
Quote from bronks:

Of course I alter my strategy. Just increasing size could be could be defined as such. I don't want to be trading 1 contract for the rest of my life.

Now do I change my method of trading. Probably, how else do you find out what works.

I don't hope for anything. I expect improvement over time.
More...

Sounds like you are on the right track anyway. It should not surprise you that you fail a few times before you make it. Just like newbies have to try 20 different approaches until they find one that works, you should expect to try pushing it 20 times before you find the right way of pushing it.
 
Quote from dalegrief:

... If your risk is increasing your "reward target" has to increase also, if not your risk/reward ratio has worsened. And you will also do worse when that happens. If you are going to getm ore aggresive and take more risk, you need to make sure that when you do win, your reward is correspondingly greater too. That make sense?
More...

It's funny you should mention this. During my last see-saw ride, I incorporated this strategy exclusively. And got killed. I can't begin to tell you how many points I've let go over the past coupla weeks while waiting for my position to mature. I'm beginning to think the opposite is true.
 
Lobster--

I think what's eating me more than anything is "working" at this; putting in tremendous time and effort and not geting "paid" for my dedication. Even though knowing full well trading doesn't pay in the traditional sense.
 
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